KEY POINTS:
The tenant of an Auckland state house who Housing New Zealand (HNZ) has tried to evict for two years is looking for somewhere else to live.
Sharon Salt, whose family members in their Range View Road, Mt Albert, house have been accused of terrorising the street, stopping cars, assaulting residents and visitors, and making life there unbearable, has given notice to HNZ of her intention to move.
Her notice came shortly before the Tenancy Tribunal was due to hear HNZ's third attempt to evict her.
"Housing New Zealand is delighted by this outcome and welcomes the tenant's decision," chief executive Lesley McTurk said.
"This saves time and money, and the need for up to 10 local people to appear as witnesses in the case."
Dr McTurk said HNZ would help Ms Salt find new accommodation outside of state housing.
Ms Salt and her family were first ordered to leave their home in June 2007 after a tribunal hearing found serious breaches of their tenancy agreement, but were allowed another hearing as she had been too unwell to attend.
The tribunal rejected HNZ's application the next month, saying it had not provided sufficient evidence for the tenancy to be fairly terminated, but it was ordered last year by Auckland District Court to rehear the case.
"We sought to end this tenancy because we felt the activities of the household were having a considerable negative impact on the community, and on neighbours," Dr McTurk said.
"The obligations of the tenant to her neighbours were not being upheld."
She said it had taken far too long to get the tenancy dispute resolved.
"It illustrates some of the challenges Housing New Zealand and other landlords face in maintaining an appropriate balance between the rights of tenants and those of neighbours."
HNZ was now redesigning the way it dealt with anti-social behaviour by tenants in a way which delivered a faster outcome. It would be trialled in the Hutt Valley suburb of Pomare over the next few weeks.
Ms Salt's lawyer John Foliaki was unavailable for comment.
- NZPA
